Collapsible and expansible rotatable tie rack



Dec. 17, 1968 v BALLARD 3,415,673

COLLAPSIBLE AND EXPANSIBLE ROTATABLE TIE RACK Filed Dec. 19, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. ROBERT T. BALLARD BY MAHOYNEY, MILLER a RAMBO B MM ATTORNEYS Dec. 17, 1968 R. T. BALLARD 3,415,673

COLLAPSIBLE AND EXPANSIBLE ROTATABLE TIE RACK Filed Dec.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. ROBERT T. BALLA RD BY MAHONEY MILL ER am 0 ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,416,673 COLLAFSIBLE AND EXPANSIBLE ROTATABLE TIE RACK Robert T. Ballard, 401 E. Main St., Lancaster, Ohio 43130 Filed Dec. 19, 1966, Ser. No. 602,981 4 Claims. (Cl. 211115) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to a tie rack which, when expanded, provides a support of annular form on which the ties can be supported for display and ready access. The support is rotatably mounted to facilitate access to and selection of a particular tie when the device is expanded. The device can be collapsed readily so that it will occupy less area for the purpose of saving space in a closet or cabinet in which it is supported or to facilitate packing.

In the accompany drawings there is illustrated one preferred embodiment of this invention and in these drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the expanded rack illustrating in phantom ties supported thereon.

FIGURE 2 is a view, partly in side elevation and partly in vertical section, of the rack.

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary side elevational view, taken from the position indicated at line 33 of FIG- URE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a plan view taken from the position indicated at line 44 of FIGURE 2 and showing, in full lines, the expanded device and, in broken lines, how the device can be folded or collapsed.

FIGURE 5 is a side elevational view of the device showing it in collapsed condition.

With reference to the drawings, the device is shown as comprising a central spindle or shaft which may be in the form of a tube of substantial length. The upper end is provided with a suspending means for suspending the entire device from the support rod in a closet. In the example shown, it is a strap and buckle 11 which is fastened to the upper end of the shaft and which is adapted to be secured around the closet rod.

A tie-supporting and suspending band 12 is provided which is of annular form when expanded and which is made of two sections 13 and 14 that are of semicircular form in expanded condition. These sections may be made of a suitable flexible elastic plastic material and are hinged together at hinge points 15, which are diametrically opposed when the band is expanded, formed by their adjacent ends interfitting and having sockets for receiving vertical hinge pins. The band 12 is normally supported in expanded annular condition with its center at the shaft axis but can be collapsed around the shafts. Support is by means of the upper set of ribs or stays 16 and the lower set of ribs or stays 17, all of which are pivotally mounted for vertical swinging movement. Normally, the sets extend radially with the stays of the upper and lower sets converging vertically at their outer ends. The upper and inner end of each of the upper stays 16 is pivoted at 18 to a collar 19 and the lower and ,outer end of each of the upper stays 16 is pivoted at 20 to the inner side of a band section.

The collar 19 is rotatably mounted on the shaft 10 in a fixed vertical position. The collar surrounds the reduced part of a fitting 21, which is used in connecting the strap 11 thereto, and is disposed between an upper shoulder 22 and a lower shoulder 23. Thus, the collar 19 is fixed axially or vertically but is rotatable. The lower "ice and inner end of each of the upper stays 17 is pivoted at 22 to a collar 25 similar to the collar 19. The upper and outer end of each of the lower stays 17 is pivoted at the common pivot 20 to the band section. The pivot structure at 20 embodies a horizontal loop carried by the band section which passes through the vertical eyelets on the ends of the stays 16 and 17. The pivots at 18 and 19 are similar, each embodying a horizontal loop on the collar 19 or 25 which receives the vertical loop on the end of the stay. The collar 25 is axially slidable and rotatable on the shaft 10.

The collar 25 has a tubular downward extension 26 which surrounds the shaft 10. Diametrically opposed latches 27 are mounted in opposed vertical slots in the wall of the tubular shaft 10 for inward and outward swinging movement and a compression spring 28 is disposed within the shaft and tends to push the latches outwardly so that their upper blunt ends 29 are normally in position to engage the lower end of the extension 26 when the device is in the expanded condition illustrated in FIGURE 1. These latches 27 can be pushed inwardly by gripping between opposed fingers to ermit the sleeve 26 to slide downwardly on the shaft 10- and thereby permit collapse of the device.

Ordinarily, in tie-supporting and displaying condition, the device will be expanded, as indicated in FIGURE 2. At this time the stays 16 and 17 will be in outwardly extending radial planes and in vertical converging relationship, the upper and lower stays being pivoted together and to the band at the common point 20 at their outer ends and their inner ends being pivoted at vertically spaced positions at the respective pivot points 19 and 22 on the vertically spaced collars 23 and 25. The entire device can be rotated, since the collars 19 and 25 are rotatably mounted on the shaft 10. The collar 19 will serve as a bearing resting on the shoulder 23 for rotation of the device and the lower end of the sleeve extension 26 will rest on the upper ends of the latches 27 and rotate thereon.

As indicated above, when it is desired to collapse the device, the latches 27 are merely forced inwardly and the sleeve extension 26 can then slide downwardly permitting movement of the collar 25 farther downwardly from fixed collar 23 and thereby permitting the stays 16 and 17 to move into vertical alignment as indicated in FIGURE 5. This causes the sections 13 and 14 of the band to fold into almost flat condition, as indicated by broken lines in FIGURE 4, with the sections on :opposite sides of the shaft 10. Expansion of the device can result merely by pushing upwardly on the sleeve extension 26 until it moves upwardly beyond the latches 27 which will automatically move outwardly into latching positions.

The band sections 13 and 14 are flexible so that when the device is collapsed, they will be moved towards each other and elongated to the condition illustrated in FIG- URE 4 pivoting about the hinge points 15. Due to their resiliency when the sleeve section 26 and collar 25 are moved upwardly, the band sections 13 and 14 will spring out to their semi-circular condition illustrated in FIGURE 4 by full lines.

The band 12 is for the purpose of supporting a plurality of ties at circumferential positions for display and ready access. As indicated in FIGURE 3, the band may be provided with various types of clips or wire loops 30 for supporting ties either in pretied condition or in untied condition, as illustrated diagrammatically in FIG- URE l. The clips 30 are shown with legs 31 which have lower ends that fit into sockets 32 on the outside of the band and with central W-shaped portions 3.3. but other forms of clips may be used.

Patented Dec. 17, 1968.

It will be apparent that this invention provides a tiesupporting rack which, in expanded condition, is of annular form for supporting and displaying a number of ties around its periphery. The band support can be rotated about the axis of the shaft to permit access to any tie. The device may be suspended from a closet rod or other support, either in expanded or collapsed condition. When collapsed, packing is also facilitated.

I.claim:

1. A supporting and display rack for ties or the like comprising a supporting band from which the ties can be supported and being radially expandable and col lapsible, said band being formed of relatively wide resilient sections hinged together at vertically disposed hinge joints, clips on said band sections for suspending ties or the like therefrom, a central vertical support shaft, means for supporting the band from the shaft, said means comprising a set of upper ribs and a set of lower ribs pivotally connected between the shaft and the band for vertical swinging movement, said upper ribs having outer ends pivoted to the band and inner ends pivoted to an upper collar rotatably mounted on the shaft in fixed axial position, said lower ribs having outer ends pivoted to the band and inner ends pivoted to a collar rotatably and axially movable on the shaft, and releasable latch means carried by the shaft at a predetermined position axially below said fixed collar for positioning the lower collar at a predetermined distance axially downwardly on the shaft from the upper collar so that the upper end lower ribs are normally held in radial planes and vertically converging relationship with the band expanded; said latch means, upon release, permitting the lower collar to move farther downwardly from the upper collar with the upper and lower ribs moving into substantial vertical alignment and with the band collapsed around the shaft.

2. A rack according to claim 1 including suspending means carried at the upper end of the shaft for suspending it from a suitable support.

3. A rack according to claim 1 in which the upper collar is rotatably disposed between axially spaced stop shoulders, and said latch means for the lower collar comprises latch members radially movable in and out of the shaft and having upper stop ends for engaging a downward extension on the lower collar, and spring means for normally forcing said latch means outwardly of the shaft into latching position.

4. A rack according to claim 3 in which each of the ribs is pivoted at its inner end to its respective collar for swinging movement about a horizontal pivot and the cooperating upper and lower ribs are pivoted to each other and to the band about a common horizontal pivot.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 459,644 9/1891 McCandless 2ll 167 1,952,466 3/1934 Sjodin et al 21l115 2,923,449 2/1960 Sund 21l-178 XR 3,172,537 3/1965 Kraft 248303 XR ROY D. FRAZIER, Primary Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 

